ANHEUSER-BUSCH LOOKS FOR SLAM DUNK WITH BASKETBALL PROMOS

Anheuser-Busch will launch a broad basketball-themed
campaign that will include on-premise merchandise and game
components as the company moves toward "edgier themes" this year
trying to "strike a chord" with younger consumers and get the Bud
brand growing again, according to BRANDWEEK.
The "Talk the Talk" campaign kicks off next month. Timed to
coincide with the NCAA Final Four and the NBA Playoffs, the
campaign will offer "stark, hooded sweatshirts and other logoed
apparel." "Talk the Talk" gear will have such sayings as "Get
out your umbrella...it's gonna rain 3's." "Talk the Talk"
specifically supports the Bud and Bud Light brands. On-premise,
A-B will have two promos behind Bud Light -- "Get in the Game,"
which taps into the popular "quarterbouncers" table-top game; and
"March to the Championship," a merchandise promo tied to the
Final Four. Sources say the programs reflect more input from A-
B's Brand Management VP August Busch IV and "portends more
radical things to come" (Gerry Khermouch, BRANDWEEK, 2/19 issue).
MORE BUD NEWS: A-B plans to put images of Olympic
activities on cans of Bud this summer, marking the first time the
beer's label has been significantly altered. The effort is part
of A-B's $100M promotional campaign for its Olympic sponsorship
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/21).